The Battle of Britain

The battle begins, summer 1940
The battle begins, summer 1940

After defeating France in June 1940, Hitler assumed Britain would sue for peace but ordered his armed forces to prepare for invasion. Hermann Goering assured him that a sustained air assault would destroy the RAF, winning the air superiority needed.
A Heinkel He 111 bomber flying over London, September 1940
A Heinkel He 111 bomber flying over London, September 1940

July 1940 saw German planes target shipping in the Channel, drawing the RAF into combat, before radar stations, communications centres and airfields faced round-the-clock bombing in August. The battle reached a climax with attacks on London in September.
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)

Joan 'Elizabeth' Mortimer, Elspeth Henderson and Helen Turner of the WAAF. All three received the Military Medal for courageous conduct during attacks on Biggin Hill airfield. Biggin Hill suffered a total of ten major attacks between 30 Aug and 5 Sept.
Non-British personnel in the RAF
Non-British personnel in the RAF

A group of pilots of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF return from a sortie. The first Polish squadrons were formed in the summer of 1940. Pilots came from several other countries, including Australia, Canada, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand and the USA.
Sector 'G' Operations Room at RAF Duxford
Sector 'G' Operations Room at RAF Duxford

RAF Duxford was a Sector Station in 12 Group, responsible for defending the Midlands and East Anglia. As the fighting intensified, Duxford's squadrons were called on to support 11 Group's defence of London and the south-east.
Hawker Hurricane Mk Is of No. 85 Squadron RAF
Hawker Hurricane Mk Is of No. 85 Squadron RAF

Despite incessant attacks, the RAF's defences held. The Luftwaffe could not continue, and in the autumn switched to 'nuisance' raids and night operations. The failure to defeat the RAF convinced Hitler to postpone his invasion plans indefinitely.

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A V2 Rocket Leaving Walcheren
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen 1944-11-01
image: a seascape showing HMS Warspite off a flat coastline with a light house. Smoke is rising from several points up into the dark sky where there is a V2 rocket creating a white smoke trail.
Captain R E C Dunbar, RN : on board "HMS Roberts"
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen
image: a half-length portrait of Captain R E C Dunbar in uniform, reading a document lying on his lap.
HMS Erebus in Action off Walcheren
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen 1944-11-02
image: a distant view of the monitor, HMS Erebus, on the horizion firing off her guns.
A German Camp in Kitdal
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen 1945
image: a small camp consisting of log cabins with curved roofs on a river bank at the foot of a mountain.
German Guns at Djupvik : Lyngen Fjord
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen 1945
image: A German gun emplacement on the water's edge with snow-capped mountains rising in the background.
HMS Hawkins
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen
image: Side view of a camouflaged destroyer at sea.
HMS Argus
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen
image: Side view of a HMS Argus at sunset.
In the Hangar on the Aircraft Carrier 'HMS Pursuer'
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen
image: Interior of an aircraft carrier hangar with crew and aircraft, wings folded
Gunnery School
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen 1945
image: an interior of a wooden building with a large gun on the left side of the room. On the right a group of soldiers on benches in front of their teacher, who stands next to the barrel of a gun. Above them is a coat of arms, a moto and a row of...
Lieutenant-Commander M A F Larose, RNR : "HMS Godelia"
(art) Made by: Bone, Stephen
image: a half length portrait of Lieutenant-Commander M A F Larose seated, in uniform. On the wall behind him are two framed pictures of Royal Navy ships. A Belgian flag and a medal ribbon of a decoration awarded to Larose are placed in the bottom right...